A blue plaque has been installed at the former home of Dr. M’Gonigle to commemorate his contribution to public health.
Dr. M’Gonigle was Medical Officer of Health for the Borough from 1924 – 1939 and was labelled ‘The Housewives Champion’ for his work in studying malnutrition and poverty.
Photographs courtesy of Bob Irwin.
Good examples of a large 18thC Norton High St property that has at some stage been divided into two homes. It’s once ‘plain’ facade has been ‘gentrified’ by the addition of 2no. mid-19thC. double-storey height bay windows, with the orig. brickwork then having been rendered over. The bay windows would provide a better panorama both up and down the street. Many of these properties once had an expanse of garden in front of them, with large extensions or warehouse/storage facilities to the rear,
I carried out the building work in 1982 to convert Dr. M’ Gonigle’s house back to two separate houses. It is possible to see where one of the original front doors were on the front elevation. The property was originally quite small and exerted over the years.
Confused by the previous postings, So was it originally two houses which were converted into one, then at a later date [1982] converted back into two houses. Or was it originally one house which was converted into two houses.
As a delivery boy in the 1951 time I would deliver to Mrs McGonigle. At that time I would go to the door down the side of the house, beyond those metal gate were not there at that time. She used to scare me.
Couple of architecturally ‘interesting’ pointers on this one. The later ‘gentrification’, or ‘upgrading’ of this property has include the creation of a parapet at eaves level, i.e the front wall has been raised above that where the original guttering-run would have been. It also has (on the r/h, or nearest property only) a twin-pitched roof, i.e a form of back to back extension creating a valley. There is evidentiary brick work on the extensions and off-shots to the rear, that suggests the original house may be of very early 1700’s construction.